By Zanele Makola
A group of aspiring women in tech from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) recently took a bold leap forward in their coding journey, thanks to a dynamic workshop hosted by Entelect in collaboration with Girl Code.
The one-day Entelect Coding Workshop, held at the company’s sleek Melrose Arch offices, brought together students from the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FoICT) for a practical, hands-on experience in front-end development. The focus? React—a leading JavaScript framework used to build modern, interactive web applications.
Students explored both foundational and advanced concepts, diving into the nuances of JSX versus TSX, and working with powerful tools within the React ecosystem. The workshop also demystified Git and GitHub—core tools for version control and collaboration in the tech world. With the help of GitHub Desktop, students learned how to confidently clone, commit, pull, push, and rebase repositories, gaining a strong grasp of software development workflows.
But beyond the code, the experience was about connection.
Participants engaged with industry professionals, asked burning questions, and gained real-world insights into what life as a software developer truly entails. The event not only sharpened their technical skills, but also fostered mentorship, confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging in a traditionally male-dominated field.
“The experience was not just about acquiring new tools and skills, but also about empowerment,” said Bathabile Mkhabela, a recent cum laude Multimedia Computing graduate. “It reinforced our confidence, built a sense of community and sparked even more excitement for our futures as females in Tech.”
Initiatives like these continue to shine a light on the power of industry-academic partnerships in preparing students for careers in the digital economy and the fast-evolving landscape of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
